Backbone
by RiddleRose13
Summary: Set during Ahsoka's trial. No longer a Jedi, Ahsoka's anger overrides her habit of staying quiet and listening to authority. If these people want her dead, she is going to tear this evidence to shreds.
1. Chapter 1

**I wasn't happy with the season finale, much like everyone else in the fandom. And Ahsoka never seemed to be one to lay down and be quiet. She is a fighter after all. Will be a two part series.**

Ahsoka Tano was born with an inbuilt 'Bull Meter'. Her time with Anakin Skywalker, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Captain Rex had only honed her natural instinct to as close to perfect as one can get. All throughout her questioning session with Letta, it had been pinging off the scale and that had only increased during her imprisonment, daring escape, run through the Underground and imprisonment again. The only time it had ever gone quiet during the last few days was during that terrible meeting with Jedi Council as she honestly had little doubt of the results of the meeting. It still hurt, don't get her wrong. She felt as though her heart had been torn out of her chest. But it was something that wasn't out of the realms of possibility.

Shifting her weight from one foot to the other and bending her knees slightly to keep her blood moving, Ahsoka rolled her eyes at Tarkin's slanderous speech. The trial was coming to a close, all the evidence of her supposed guilt had been laid out in front of the Senate with Padmé trying desperately to defend it off and it was the final speeches before Chancellor Palpatine would ask her for any words, before the recess that would allow her sentence to be decided.

"Ms Tano, is there anything that you would like to say before the end of the trial?"

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. If there was ever an opening that presented itself to her, this was it. "Yes, actually, Chancellor. There is."

She smiled sweetly. Her species were predatory. She'd fought an Akul by herself as a rite of passage. She could deal with a bunch of stuffy politicians. She wasn't the Chosen One's Padawan for nothing.

"I would like to declare that your evidence is flimsy at best." The stunned looks resonated from all around the room, Padmé included, but Ahsoka didn't stop. "Let's start with the bombing, shall we? Now, we've all covered that the bomb was in fact an Abyssin named Jackar Bowmani who had been fed Nano-droids by his wife, Letta. What you've missed is that I had never met these people prior to the bombing." She paused. "Technically, I've never met one of the at all."

Knowing that she definitely had the full attention of everyone in the room, Ahsoka continued, pacing around her small platform to keep her mind working. "The next problem with your prosecution is that I wasn't on Coruscant at the time of the attack. I was with my master, Anakin Skywalker, fighting the Separatist army in Cato Neimoidia. How was I supposed to coordinate a bombing on _my home_ when I was on the other side of the galaxy?" With this question, she turned her head to face Tarkin, arching one eye marking coyly.

The Admiral's face had gone a deathly pale white, his lips pressed tightly together and his fists clenched at his sides. Obviously her tearing apart of this case was not what he wanted. He stepped forward. "But that is why you recruited Letta Bowmani!" He declared, pointing at her.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "As previously stated, I had never met Letta prior to the bombing. In fact, that brings up another problem. How was I even supposed to get my hands on Nano-droids? My master and I have been fighting the droid army for months now, hardly even spending more than a week on Corsuscant. When would I have the time to collect the Nano-droids, somehow find someone who wanted to blow up a hangar, work out a plan with them, deliver the Nano-droids and coordinate an attack with only a few days between my actual being here on the planet?"

"You have a holoprojector, do you not?" Tarkin said stiffly.

"It's Jedi standard only." Ahsoka shrugged.

"What of your communication links?"

Ahsoka studied her nails. "All calls made via the commlinks are recorded as per Jedi standards."

"But you're no longer a Jedi." Tarkin snapped, his anger bubbling dangerously close to the surface.

Ahsoka stiffened, drawing in the hurt from her expulsion, and narrowed her eyes. "My removal as a member of the Jedi Order only occurred today. And we move on because that brings me to my next point. Letta requested to speak only to me." She looked up at Palpatine. "Could you please play back the hologram of my conversation with Letta and her subsequent death?"

Palpatine, completely stunned by the argument occurring below him, gestured to Tarkin who angrily called up the hologram. Ahsoka felt a pang of sympathy for poor Letta. She had experienced a Force Chokehold quite a few times and only a few seconds were painful. She closed her eyes as Letta's holographic form died and took a deep breath. _Come on, Snips_ , she hissed to herself. _You've got the nickname for a reason._

Tarkin immediately whirled to face her. "What have you got to say about that?!" He yelled. Ahsoka stared calmly at him, before raising her eyes to Palpatine. "Chancellor. I request to have one of the Jedi Masters perform a Force Chokehold in front of the Senate to make sure the evidence is actually… what's the term? Rock solid."

Tarkin leapt in first. "Chancellor you cannot! The Jedi are partial to her. They would try to differentiate what we would actually be seeing."

Palpatine looked thoughtful. "Ms Tano, I'm afraid I would have to agree with Admiral Tarkin. Though you are no longer considered a Jedi, many of the Jedi Masters have known you for as long as you've been at the Temple."

Ahsoka tilted her head. "Then I request you call down Master Mace Windu. He is a fair Jedi and follows the Code. That and we're not particularly fond of each other."

Obi-Wan stood up from his location in the gallery. "Chancellor Palpatine, I'm afraid the Jedi Counsel wishes to push the motion proposed by Padawa-Ms Tano."

Padmé took the time to lean over towards Ahsoka. "What are you doing?" She hissed, looking a mixture of worried and highly impressed. Ahsoka smiled, tilting her head. "I'm being stubborn."

The Chancellor shook his head. "The Senate rejects the motion proposed by Ms Tano. Now, if Ms Tano is finished-"

"I am not!" Ahsoka burst out immediately. "We are nowhere near the end of this discussion, Chancellor. Moving on! The Admiral himself told me that there are recording devices in every room of the prison. Are you telling me that there are none in the entrance way where I apparently knocked unconscious a whole bunch of Clones?"

Tarkin spluttered in anger, his facing turning a deep red, but Ahsoka's point hit true. Murmurs started to become whispers from the gallery, resulting in the Chancellor having to yell for order, before he turned to the Admiral. "Admiral Tarkin, is this true?"

Tarkin sighed, looking defeated. "Yes. There are recording devices in the entrance."

Padmé leapt forward. "Admiral, were they looked at?" When Tarkin didn't reply, Padmé's eyes narrowed, her beautiful face marred with anger. "Admiral, I believe I asked a question we all want answered. Where. They. Looked. At?"

"…No." Tarkin's response was defeated and quiet, almost missed by the gallery. Ahsoka smirked. She almost didn't have to do anything now. But there were still a few things left.

"I accept the retrial that will be ordered in light of the left out evidence," the Togruta began, "but I still have things to say."

The Chancellor and the Admiral looked resigned to Ahsoka's destruction but the rest of the Senate weren't able to pull their eyes away.

"This incompetence also will show that I did not kill the three Clones I am charged for." She sighed. "We will return to Letta's death at a later time when there is less doubt."

"Why did you run?" Padmé asked, starting to catch onto Ahsoka's plan. Ahsoka dipped her head at the Senator in respect. "The reason I ran is hard to explain. I knew that no one would believe my innocence with the Admiral in control of the investigation and I had no links to the Jedi Temple. One part of me wanted revenge and to find proof. To prove those who were doubting me wrong. But the majority was actual instinct. My species is predatory, as I've said before. We hunt but we are also hunted. When I was arrested, I wasn't in a safe place. The people around me were a threat. I ran away to be safe. I ran to follow my instincts."

"That is hardly a good excuse!" Tarkin snapped. Padmé waved her hand dismissively. "We are human, she is Togrutan. There is a large difference between us despite the physical similarities." She turned her head to Ahsoka. "When you ran, you said that you met Asajj Ventress in the Underground. What happened?"

"Ventress said that she had become a bounty hunter." Ahsoka recalled. "Upon her betrayal and near-death at the hands of Count Dooku, she had nowhere else to go and turned to something that was of a similar set of skills. Originally, she was going to turn me in for whatever reward money."

"What changed her mind?" Padmé asked.

"I told her what happened. That I was trying to prove my innocence." Ahsoka turned her gaze to the far wall. "I think she felt sympathy for me. She helped me escape the Clones and Master Skywalker and allowed me to call my friend Barriss Offee in the Jedi Temple."

Padmé quirked an eyebrow. "You called Knight Offee?"

"We are close friends. She believed my innocence and wanted to help me prove it. She gave me the location of a warehouse where Letta apparently gained the nano-droids from. Ventress helped me get there and we separated, or so I thought. When I went inside to investigate, she came back, attacking me and eventually overpowering me, knocking me through the ground to the floor below." Ahsoka wet her lips. "I landed right next to the explosives used and the Clones burst in straight away, stunning and arresting me."

Padmé crossed her arms in front of her. "For what reason for Asajj Ventress have for attacking you?"

Ahsoka shook her head in confusion. "I could only think of money. We had a deal that if she helped me, I'd request a pardon from the Senate due to Count Dooku's trickery of her mind."

Tarkin snorted. "And why would the Senate pardon a known criminal?"

Ahsoka straightened herself up. "You're charging an innocent. How different is that from pardoning a known?"

Before yells could start up, Ahsoka turned to Padmé. "When I first escaped, I had called Barriss to ask for her help. She agreed to do some digging to aid me. Please don't convict her for helping me because of our friendship."

"Returning to the death of Letta, can you describe a typical Force Chokehold? How is it performed?"

Ahsoka took a deep breath. "It is a Dark Side technique that is well-known for its brutality. You have to hold your arm out in the gestures as though you were standing right in front of them." She raised her arms towards the far wall for demonstration. "Then, you're supposed to squeeze."

She dropped her arms and let out a sigh. "It is a terrible move to use."

Tarkin leapt in. "And only those who have turned to the 'Dark Side' can use this?"

Ahsoka shrugged. "I don't know. It isn't taught at the Jedi Temple, that I can assure you."

Padmé turned towards the Senate. "In the recording of Ms Bowmani's death, it is clear to see that Ms Tano's hands are open and splayed outright. From the description supplied, it should have been impossible for Ms Tano to straggle Letta Bowmani."

Tarkin snorted. "The description was given by the very accused! How do we know that she's not misleading us with fake information?"

Ahsoka pouted. "I did tell you to ask for a demonstration. Not my fault it was denied."

Tarkin glared daggers at the Togrutan, who in turned tilted her head childishly, before facing Padmé. "Senator Amidala, I have said all that I needed to."

Padmé bowed her head in acknowledgement, before turning to the Chancellor. "The Accused has said her statement. You may continue with the court proceedings."

Palpatine looked down at her, clearly shocked and highly confused, before he turned towards the Senate. A cry rose up from the gallery. "You're not seriously going to ask us to decide on a corrupt trial!?"

One Senator after another stood up, crying for the injustice to be corrected and the investigation to be redone. Ahsoka smiled, watching the Admiral's face grow red in anger. The Chancellor glanced around the angry Senate, listening as they all yelled; some to just get on and charge her, others to call for a retrial, and a few demanding that she be acquitted.

Palpatine looked down at Ahsoka and let out a sigh. "This trial will be postponed until the evidence has be re-evaluated due to the doubts raised by the defence." He slammed his hand down to signify the decision was made and stormed out of the room, his guards hurrying to catch up. Padmé turned to Ahsoka, her eyes bright and happy. "Congratulations! I will see you in a minute."

Ahsoka returned the smile that was etched on Padmé's face before glancing at Tarkin. She didn't need to be Force-sensitive to feel his rage and she watched as the Admiral charged out of the room, his anger almost a physical aura. Normally she'd feel bad for the Admiral, seeing him so angry, but this was her life. She was innocent and he was trying to condemn her to death. Her instincts demanded that she do something and her training with Anakin demanded that she use that backbone and snippy attitude.

Two Clone guards appeared behind her, confusion radiating off them. They took her by her elbows and gently led her from the room. As she left, Ahsoka took a deep breath and, for the first time in many days, relaxed.


	2. Chapter 2

**The final chapter. The words written in bold are taken from 'The Wrong Jedi'.**

When Ahsoka found out it was Barriss who had betrayed and framed her, she burst into tears. She had been in her _cosy_ prison cell, deep asleep and woke up to Anakin and Rex shaking her shoulder, three Clone guards standing behind them. Anakin had immediately told her that she had been acquitted, that they had found who was behind the bombings and who had framed her. Ahsoka had perked up at that, immediately asking who it was and that was when everything went silent. Anakin and Rex had shared a concerned look, while the three guards all looked awkward. Ahsoka frowned. "What's wrong?"

Anakin rested a hand on her shoulder. "Ahsoka, it was Barriss who framed you."

After the stage of denial, disbelief that her closest friend and borderline older sister had betrayed her and the Jedi Order and had gone to the Dark Side, subsided, Ahsoka couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. Rex patted her back awkwardly, never one for physical comfort, but Anakin allowed her to curl into his chest and cry.

They escorted her out of the jail when she calmed a bit, Anakin keeping his arm around her shoulders. Whether it was intentional or pure coincidence, Barriss was being taken in at the same time. Ahsoka met her eyes and felt the urge to cry well up inside her. She shrugged off Anakin's comforting arm and reached out towards her former friend. "Barriss, why?"

The Mirialan shot her a hateful look. "The Jedi have become tools of war! We are no longer proud peacekeepers but pathetic soldiers."

Ahsoka squared her shoulders. "And you framed me?" She snarled, revealing her sharp teeth. "Your closest friend?! I relied on you! You were my sister! We even saved each other's lives!"

Barriss shook her head. "You have become corrupt with violence like the rest of the Jedi."

Ahsoka drew herself back, crossing her arms, and shook her head. Her lekku stripes darkened with her anger and she turned towards Anakin and Rex. She took a deep breath, trying desperately to calm herself down, before she whirled around, throwing herself at Barriss and landed a punch squarely on the side of the Mirialan's face. Hands grabbed Ahsoka's arms and pulled the two apart and she heard Anakin's voice hissing at her to stop.

Barriss placed a hand to her bruised cheek. "You've just proved my point, Ahsoka."

"You want to know what I've learned from you, Barriss." Ahsoka snarled. "That raising concerns will get you everywhere. Take that into consideration next time."

The Togruta raised her head proudly, glaring at Barriss before she was pulled from the entry way and into the sunlight. She fought off Anakin and Rex's restraining arms and walking into the sunlight, trying to calm herself down. But Anakin whirled her around and narrowed his eyes. "What did you do that for?"

"To make us even, I suppose." Ahsoka sighed, crossing her arms. She tilted her head up to the sunlight to warm her face. She could feel the annoyance radiating from both Rex and Anakin mixed in with a bit of pride. Ahsoka glanced at them. "I take it the Jedi Council wants to speak with me?"

"Yes," Anakin responded. He glanced at Rex, who gave them both a nod and left, his helmet tucked neatly under his arm. Anakin rested a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go."

* * *

" **You have our most humble apologies, little 'Soka."**

" **The Council was wrong to accuse you."**

" **You have shown such a great strength and resilience in your struggle to prove you innocence."**

" **This is the true sign of a Jedi Knight."**

" **This was actually your great trial."**

" **We understand that the Force works in mysterious ways, and because of this trial, you have become a greater Jedi than you would have otherwise."**

It wouldn't stop. Ahsoka let out a loud groan, burying her head into her hands. Master Plo Koon rested a hand on her shoulder. "What is wrong, little 'Soka?"

Ahsoka lifted her head. "I refuse to accept your apologies."

Shock radiated around the room, resulting in a few moments of silence which was broken by Master Windu. "And what is the reason for your refusal to accept our mistakes?"

"Master Windu when we were called back from Cato Neimoidia and met in this very room in regards to the bombing, you said that if there was a Jedi involved it couldn't be someone who wasn't on the planet at the time of the bombing." Ahsoka crossed her arms and squared her shoulders, preparing for the argument that was about to ensue. "That was the very reason you placed Master Skywalker and I in charge of the investigation. Yet, when Admiral Tarkin accused me of _murdering_ Letta Bowmani, you all turned your backs on me, expelling me from the Order without request a viewing of evidence first."

"Ahsoka!" Anakin hissed, grabbing her shoulder. She continued, shrugging him off: "In fact, in the Chamber of Judgement, should there not have been an examination of the evidence that was going to be presented at my trial?"

By the end of her question, she was almost yelling and her hands were clenched by her side.

"Ahsoka Tano!" Mace Windu bellowed back. "Know your place."

"You expelled me. I am no longer a Padawan which means that my words right now will not have any effect on my standing." Ahsoka shot back. "And I also believe that this is completely necessary. How many times could this have happened in the future if my Master had not believed my innocence? Hell, I could have been _put to death_!"

She drew herself up. "I expected, as a previous member of this Order, to be given a fair trial in both the Jedi Order and the Coruscant government. Yet, the only people that helped me were my Master and the mastermind behind the bombing herself."

Master Plo stepped forward and Ahsoka could feel the guilt radiating off him. He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Little 'Soka, your words have struck deep but have raised clear problems." He knelt down in front of her, bowing his head. "As a Jedi and Kel Dor, I deliver my most heartfelt apologies and the promise that this dreadful mistake will never happen again."

Master Yoda moved forward as well as Ahsoka helped Master Plo to his feet. "Mistake, we have made. Your hurt, apologies will not heal. Back into the Order, you may come. Correct the mistake and right a wrong, help us to."

Ahsoka looked at the other Jedi Masters, all of whom looked angered by her words but could see the reasoning behind it. Master Yoda looked up. "Return to the Order, will you? Much to learn, we have."

Anakin rested a hand on her shoulder, her silka beads dangling from the other hand. But before he could say anything, Ahsoka raised her hands, stopping the talking. "Masters, I want to re-join the Order. The Jedi Temple is my home, the members my family. But the decisions made by the Council have destroyed my faith and my trust in the Council and myself. How can I dedicate myself to the Order when I cannot trust myself?"

Yoda looked concerned. "Mediative retreat, you could attend. You faith and trust, you could find."

Ahsoka paused, one hand drifting towards the silka beads. "My accusations to the Council stand. Where does this leave me?"

The members glanced at each other, before turning back. Master Windu stepped forward. "Could you please wait outside while we consider the information that has been presented to us?"

Anakin held Ahsoka's elbow carefully, guiding her out of the large room. The moment the doors closed, he groaned. "Snips!"

"Don't start, Master!" She snapped back. "You're as angry as I am."

He gripped her shoulders. "Yes, Ahsoka. I am. But yelling at them for what happened… I don't know if that's going to help."

Ahsoka dipped her head, studying her lekku as they fell past her face. She licked her lips, now anxious. In the cell before her trial she knew that Anakin would find out who framed her. But that still left her with a difficult choice regarding the Jedi Order.

"Master," she started, her voice barely a whisper. "I wanted to leave the Order."

His fingers dug into her shoulders as he stiffened, her words registering in his head. "What? No, why?"

"Because they didn't trust me. If the Council doesn't trust me, how can I trust myself?"

Ahsoka could feel the emotions that she had been so desperate of blocking, of burying, bubbling up to the surface and she felt tears well up in her eyes. She immediately wiped them away. This was not the time to break down. Anakin sighed, pulling her into a hug, one hand resting against her back lekku, the other wrapped around her shoulder blades.

"I know what it's like wanting to leave the Order, Snips." He confided. Ahsoka couldn't prevent the snort. He and Padmé couldn't be any more obvious. It was amazing that no one worked it out yet. "But if there is anyone you can trust, it's me. It's me and Obi-Wan and Rex and R2 and..."

His voice trailed off and she felt him rest his chin between her montrals.

"I know my decision hurts, Anakin." Ahsoka replied, using his first name to deliver the point. "But what's been done to me leaves me with so much anger and pain. What if staying here just intensifies it? I don't want to grow to hate my only home, Master."

Anakin left out a soft laugh. "We sound like we need to see therapists." Ahsoka smiled lightly. "But was yelling at the Council wasn't the smartest move."

"I've already yelled at the Admiral and the Chancellor." Ahsoka told him, slipping out from the hug and wiping her eyes again. "That was to save my life. This is to save the lives of others."

Anakin nodded and Ahsoka knows that he understands. She grabbed his hands, looking at the differences in their skin colours. "I know that you will help me regain trust. But I will follow my instincts. If I feel as though I need to leave the Order, I will."

The doors open and Obi-Wan walked out to greet them. "The Council is ready."

Ahsoka took a deep breath and squared her shoulders again. Her heart was beating much like it did when she was about to enter a battle. Anakin prodded her in the back lightly, getting her to enter the room. Yoda sat forward as they entered. "Much fear in you, I sense. Problem, you have?"

Ahsoka shook her head and Yoda turned to look at each of the Council Members. Master Windu leant forward. "Ahsoka Tano, we, the Jedi Council offer to reinstate you into the Jedi Order. Our proposal offers a three month Mediative Retreat with Master Ti. Once the three months have passed, you will be brought back in front of the Council to decide if you are able to resume the rank of Padawan."

Ahsoka bowed her head. A retreat would allow her to gather her thoughts, to work out her anger and Master Ti was a Togruta as well and was well grounded. She could sense the nervousness of the Council and of Anakin. Ahsoka raised her head. "I accept. But what of my accusations?"

"They will be taken into consideration," Master Plo assured her, "and, in collaboration with the Senate, we will work out a strategy to avoid this event from ever happening again."

* * *

Anakin and Obi-Wan saw her off. Master Ti had gained permission for the Mediative Retreat to occur on Shili, allowing Ahsoka to reconnect with herself in familiar and neutral grounds. Obi-Wan wishes her well and passes on similar messages from Master Plo, Padmé and Rex. The first and latter were unable to attend her farewell due to the war going on while Padmé was in a Senate meeting. However, the senator had previously given Ahsoka a holoprojector, promising to keep in touch and give her any advice needed.

Anakin hugged her for the third time in many days and Ahsoka can feel his happiness that she didn't leave the Order but his loneliness and sadness that she will be away. As they pull away, Ahsoka felt a familiar weight brushing against her back lekku and raised her hand to tangle her fingers in her Padawan braid. Anakin rested his hands on her shoulders. "While you may not officially be a Padawan, if you choose to stay with the Order… well…"

Ahsoka laughed lightly, giving him a light nudge on the arm. "I know, Skyguy. _I know_."

 **Hooray** **for friendly Anakin. I like his character more in the TV show than in the movies because he feels like he actually has a personality. I always felt as though his attachment to Ahsoka should have been better displayed, which is actually why there's a lot of hugging in this. So yeah, they are a bit out of character.**


End file.
